Delal Bridge, Zakho

The Delal Bridge (also spelled Dalal) spans the Little Khabur river in the centre of Zakho, the last major town before the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing into Turkey. The bridge's age is uncertain — estimates range from the 2nd century CE through the medieval period — but its single pointed arch, rising about eight metres above the water, has been photographed, painted, and documented for centuries. It appears in Ottoman military surveys and in the journals of European travellers from the 19th century onward.

Zakho itself is a compact, historically diverse town that was home to a significant Jewish community until the mid-20th century and has Kurdish, Assyrian, and Armenian historical layers. The bridge sits in the old quarter, reachable on foot from the main bazaar in about ten minutes. The surrounding riverbanks have been developed into a small park with benches and teahouses.

For most international travellers, Zakho is the first Kurdistan town entered after the Ibrahim Khalil crossing — the Delal Bridge makes a natural first stop, about 85 kilometres from Duhok city.